Former President Donald Trump made a campaign stop this Saturday in Detroit, Michigan, where he received the support of hundreds of Black voters at the 180 Church in the city center after criticizing illegal immigration and presenting President Joe Biden as an "anti-Black” politician.
“They’re coming for your jobs. And it’s terrible … The black community is being hurt most by illegal aliens. They’re coming into your communities and they’re taking your jobs," Trump told the crowd, which responded with a standing ovation.
The former president, in addition to criticizing illegal immigration, also stated that President Biden is a threat to the Black community.
Specifically, the Republican leader cited Biden's role in developing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. This sweeping bill, criminal justice specialists say, laid the foundation for mass incarceration that significantly harmed Black communities in the United States.
“He walks around now talking about the black vote — he’s the ‘king of the super predators,’” Trump said, referencing the theory that young people in the 1990s were more dangerous and less capable of rehabilitation compared to previous generations of criminals.
“So please remember that if you're going to vote for Democrats, because you shouldn't be voting for Democrats,” the former president insisted, recalling Democrats' racist record throughout history.
According to the newspaper The New York Times, Trump's visit to the 180 Church is part of a campaign strategy by the former president's team to try to undermine Black voters' traditional support for Democrats as the Republican seeks to reverse his 2020 defeat in swing states like Michigan.
According to the NYT, although Black voters historically favor Democrats, recent polls suggest that the Democratic Party is losing ground in this demographic, something that could affect Biden's performance and tip the balance in favor of Trump.
According to a poll conducted by The NYT with Siena College in “battleground states in May showed 23 percent of Black voters supporting Mr. Trump, a record level.”
The figure is surprising considering that the Republican only won the support of 8% of Black voters nationally in 2020. According to the NYT survey, their gains would be exactly fifteen points.
